Chapter 252: Did Ghost Operate in the United States? Ties to a Criminal Organization

Su Ming’s words were a wake-up call for Chen Sheng and Xu Changsheng, plunging them into deep thought.

By digging into the details of the manslaughter case, they had already begun to verify and confirm Ghost’s identity and methods. But now, another question had surfaced.

If Ghost hadn’t killed his wife by accident, but had instead carefully laid the groundwork step by step, setting the stage and ultimately using a magic accident to murder her—then surely, he must have had a motive?

Yet, according to the police investigation…

There had been no major issues or arguments between Ghost and his wife. Their relationship, finances, and personalities all seemed stable. In fact, they had always appeared to be deeply in love.

After all, when they got married, they had nothing. It was a bare-bones wedding, and everything they had built was through their own hard work. That kind of bond ran deep. There weren’t even any financial disputes to speak of.

So, ruling out those factors, the question that remained was…

What was the motive?

What could have driven Ghost to so coldly and deliberately murder his own wife?

…

After a few seconds of silence, Chen Sheng stared at Ghost’s photo projected on the screen and spoke with a serious, solemn tone.

“Something doesn’t add up.”

“It really doesn’t make sense.”

“From a logical standpoint, even after killing his wife, Ghost could have claimed it was an accident or negligence and applied for a suspended sentence. He could’ve sought a letter of forgiveness from her family.”

“Back then, even we in the police didn’t suspect it was premeditated murder. We believed it was a tragic accident caused by inadequate safety measures.”

“In fact, during the investigation, we specifically asked Ghost if he wanted to apply for a reduced sentence or seek forgiveness.”

“But he flat-out refused. Without hesitation. He even said, with heartbreaking sincerity, that even if his wife’s family could forgive him, he could never forgive himself—for driving a sword through her heart.”

“In court, he didn’t appeal, didn’t argue, didn’t beg for leniency. He even asked the judge to give him a few extra years, just so he could experience even one percent of the pain his wife must have felt.”

“To be honest, at the time, this case drew a lot of attention within the department. We sympathized with Ghost. It was tragic—killing the one you love most with your own hands.”

“But now, looking back, all I feel is disgust. Pure revulsion. Turns out someone can be this twisted—murdering his wife and still putting on a show of deep love and remorse.”

At this point, Xu Changsheng picked up the thread, frowning deeply.

“Then that brings us to a very strange question.”

“What could have made Ghost willingly choose to go to prison?”

“If we hadn’t uncovered the truth behind the case, maybe his whole ‘punishing himself to feel one percent of her pain’ story might’ve seemed believable.”

“But now, that explanation doesn’t hold water at all.”

“Prison isn’t some sanctuary. Could it be, just like Xiao Ming said…”

“Ghost went to prison to avoid being hunted down, using the legal system to hide from…”

“No, Brother Sheng. It might not be the authorities he was hiding from.”

After reviewing the whole case, Su Ming interrupted Xu Changsheng and continued speaking.

“I just thought it through carefully.”

“If Ghost was trying to escape from law enforcement, then killing his wife to get himself thrown in prison wouldn’t make sense.”

“Because, let’s be clear—if he was under that much pressure from the authorities, enough to make him flee and willingly lock himself up for years, then whatever he did must’ve been a huge crime. Way more serious than manslaughter. Possibly even a murder case.”

“If it were a murder case, then under the principle that all homicides must be solved, the police would’ve investigated relentlessly. Would Ghost really have had the time or nerve to carefully stage a trap and wait for the perfect moment?”

“I don’t think he’d have that kind of courage.”

“Plus, homicide investigations are extremely thorough. Once in custody, Ghost would be in a passive position. There’s no way he could guarantee that his past crimes wouldn’t be uncovered.”

“So we can probably rule out pressure from law enforcement. That leaves only one other possibility—Ghost put himself in prison to escape from underworld forces or assassins.”

“After all, no matter how powerful the gangs or how skilled the killers, they can’t just waltz into a prison and carry out a hit.”

“In Dragon Country, our prisons are among the most secure fortresses. They’re one of the safest places to hide from a manhunt.”

He paused for two seconds, then narrowed his eyes and continued in a calm voice.

“Also, I just realized we’ve overlooked something important.”

“Out of all the ex-cons with violent records, why did K choose Ghost specifically? Why was he so sure Ghost had the ability to take out Lan Cai’er?”

“More importantly, how did he know that the so-called magic accident wasn’t an accident at all, but a carefully planned murder? Why would he entrust such a crucial task to Ghost?”

“And why wasn’t K worried that Ghost might refuse to join the drug trafficking organization or decline to eliminate Lan Cai’er, the ticking time bomb?”

“Could it be that when K was scouting for suitable candidates, he discovered that Ghost had voluntarily gone to prison to escape a hit? Maybe he used that information to blackmail him—or offered him some kind of reward, giving Ghost no reason to refuse, and no will to say no?”

At that moment, Chen Sheng suddenly understood what Su Ming was getting at. He slapped the table and quickly said,

“Half a year ago, because the Lan Cai’er situation was getting urgent, K started looking through ex-cons with a history of violence, trying to find someone suitable to handle it.”

“During that search, he stumbled upon Ghost and dug up his past, then used it to either threaten him or offer some kind of deal.”

“When you think about it that way, everything starts to make sense.”

As he spoke, Chen Sheng grabbed the mouse and pulled up another profile.

“Ghost—Liu Su.”

“He and his wife once spent six months in the United States, claiming it was to study the latest magic theories and techniques to improve their act.”

“But now, it seems that trip might not have been just about learning magic…”